In A First For India, Bhopal Issues ID Cards For Third Gender

In a first for India, the local administration in Bhopal has started issuing ID cards to people from the third gender to help them avail the benefits of the state government's welfare schemes.

Through the ID cards, the third gender would be eligible for the schemes that are run by the social justice department in the state.

Joint Director of Social Justice Department, R P Singh, said that the Bhopal is the first district in the country to give ID cards to the transgender community. He also added that the ID cards will provide a distinct recognition to the third gender and enable them to benefit from the government schemes.

Apart from this, he also pointed out that schemes specially meant for the third genders could even be made at the government level.

As per the definition, people who identify with the third gender are neither male nor female. They either identify as a combination of both genders or neither.

In September 2020, the Uttar Pradesh government had also planned on setting up a transgender welfare board which would issue ID cards for them.

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